LAODICEA
LAODICE'A (la-od-i-se'a). Of the several cities named Laodicea in Syria and Asia Minor, only one is mentioned in the Scriptures, namely, the one situated in the confines of Phrygia and Lydia, on the banks of the Lycus, and about ninety miles E of Ephesus-not far from Colossae. After having been successively called Diosopolis and Rhoas, it was named Laodicea in honor of Laodice, the wife of Antiochus II (261-246 B.C.), who rebuilt it. It was destroyed by an earthquake (A.D. 66, or earlier) and rebuilt by Marcus Aurelius. It was the seat of a Christian church (
Col 2:1; 4:13,15-16;
Rev 1:11). It is now a heap of ruins, called by the Turks Eski-hissar, or "old castle."
The town was located on a flat-topped hill. A wall (about a kilometer long on each of its four sides) surrounded the crown of the hill. Gates pierced this wall on the N, E, and NW. At the SW edge of the plateau stood a stadium, built and dedicated to Vespasian in A.D. 79. Near the stadium was a stone aqueduct, five miles long and probably dating to the second century A.D. Adjacent to the stadium on the N is a structure probably to be identified as baths and built during the reign of Hadrian (A.D. 117-38). Remains of two rather badly ruined theaters stand on the NE of Laodicea. Ruins of numerous other unidentified structures may be seen at the site.
LAODICE'A, CHURCH AT. Among the residents of this city at the time of the apostles were many Jews; and it is probably owing to this fact that a Christian church was planted here at so early a date. It appears from the epistle to the Colossians (
Col 4:15-16) that Paul never visited Laodicea, but hearing, most probably, from Epaphras of the false doctrines spread in that city, he wrote to the Colossians desiring that his epistle to that church should also be read in Laodicea. The message of the Spirit (
Rev 3:14-22) to the church of Laodicea was an awful warning. See Laodiceans, Epistle to.
The Laodicean condition describes the spiritual lukewarmness and worldliness that will prevail in the professing church of Christ at the end of the age. Rich, cultured, religiously ritualistic-this church will have become so self-satisfied and worldly as to have ostracised Christ completely. He is represented prophetically as standing on the outside knocking for admission (
Rev 3:20). No longer is He admitted by the corporate body, but stands outside extending an invitation to individuals. The awful spiritual condition, so utterly abhorrent to God, calls forth one of the boldest figures used in the NT. "So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth" (3:16; cf.
2 Tim 3:1-8 for the spiritual and moral conditions at the end of the church age).
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